Dave Challinor will be hoping to avoid an FA Cup upset when he takes charge of Sheffield Wednesday for the first time at Oldham Athletic in the first round on Sunday.
Former Stockport County boss Challinor was named as Henrik Pedersen's successor in the Wednesday dugout last weekend and watched from the stands as his new side were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackpool in League One.
That result extended the Owls' winless run to four matches and leaves them ninth in the third-tier standings, with promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt undoubtedly being the priority for their new head coach.
However, Challinor will certainly not be turning his nose up at a potential FA Cup run and he will be keen to make a positive start with victory at Boundary Park against an Oldham side languishing in 18th spot in League Two.
Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Tips Summary
Best Bet - Sheffield Wednesday to win @ 23/20
Alternative Bet - Jamal Lowe anytime scorer @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Both teams to score, Calum Kavanagh anytime scorer & Davis Keillor-Dunn anytime scorer @ 13/2
Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Prediction
Best Bet: Sheffield Wednesday to win @ 23/20
After a disastrous 2025/26 season that saw them relegated from the Championship with zero points, Wednesday made a bright enough start to life back in League One, losing only one of their opening nine games.
However, with promotion being the target for their new owners, back-to-back defeats to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers cost Pedersen his job and interim boss Matt Hamshaw could only manage a pair of draws from his two games in temporary charge.
An FA Cup first-round tie at lower-league opposition might not have been a priority for Wednesday in other circumstances, but given this is Challinor's first game in charge, coupled with their need to stop the rot, the Owls should be fully focused at Boundary Park.
Oldham have lacked consistency for much of the season and their home record is less than inspiring, winning just one of their last five matches on their own patch in the fourth tier.
Micky Mellon's side were beaten by bottom of the table Crawley Town in their last home fixture and although they bounced back with victory at Northampton Town in the week, it is difficult to see them overcoming a Wednesday side that will be desperate to impress under their new head coach.
Alternative Bet: Jamal Lowe anytime scorer @ 11/10
Wednesday have been without seven-goal top scorer Jamal Lowe for the last three games after he was sent off in the defeat at Notts County, but the Jamaica international is available for Sunday's cup clash.
Lowe will be keen to make up for his dismissal at Meadow Lane and his form has been good this season, with nine goal involvements in 14 appearances across all competitions.
The 32-year-old has scored in away games at Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers and Huddersfield Town in the league - helping the Owls to seven points from those matches - as well as netting in an EFL Trophy win at Salford City.
An undoubted threat on the road, Lowe can add another goal on his travels this weekend.
Oldham Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday Bet Builder Tip
- Both teams to score
- Calum Kavanagh anytime scorer
- Davis Keillor-Dunn anytime scorer
Pays 13/2
Sheffield have won four of their seven away matches this season but they are yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels, while Oldham have recent memories of scoring at will against the Owls.
The two teams met in a pre-season friendly at Boundary Park in August and the Latics ran out convincing 4-0 winners. A repeat scoreline is unlikely on Sunday but it does further underline that Oldham can contribute to the scoring.
Forward Calum Kavanagh was on the scoresheet for Oldham in that 4-0 win and he has carried that form into the season, as he is leading the way for the Latics in League Two when it comes to goals (five), shots (49) and shots on target (13).
At the other end, Wednesday forward Davis Keillor-Dunn, on loan from Wrexham until the New Year, is starting to find his feet at his new club and netted in last weekend's draw with Blackpool.
The 29-year-old will also be on familiar turf at Boundary Park, having spent two productive seasons with Oldham earlier in his career, ending the 2021/22 campaign as the club's top scorer with 17 league goals.
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Key Match Stats
- Dave Challinor will be taking charge of Sheffield Wednesday for the first time
- The Owls are yet to keep a clean sheet in seven away matches this season
- Oldham sit 33 places below Wednesday in the league pyramid
- The Latics were 4-0 winners when these sides met in a pre-season friendly in August
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the pair since August 2012
- Wednesday striker Davis Keillor-Dunn scored 28 goals during a two-season spell with Oldham
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
